On June 18, 1979, the Court granted the United States
leave to file a bill of complaint setting out a dispute over the
rights of the United States and the State of Alaska to offer
lands in the Beaufort Sea for mineral leasing. 442 U. S. 937.
The Court appointed a Special Master to direct subsequent
proceedings and to submit such reports as he deemed appropriate. 444 U. S. 1065 (1980). The Court later referred
to the Master the State of Alaska's motion for leave to file
a counterclaim seeking a decree quieting its title to coastal
submerged lands within two federal reservations, the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska and the Arctic National
Wildlife Range (now known as the Arctic National Wildlife
Refuge). 445 U. S. 914 (1980).

From 1980 through 1986, the Master oversaw extensive
hearings and briefing. On May 20, 1996, the Court received
and ordered filed the Special Master's Report. 517 U. S.
1207. On June 19, 1997, this Court overruled Alaska's exceptions, sustained the United States' exception, and directed the parties to prepare and submit an appropriate
decree, consistent with the Court's decision, for the Court's
consideration. 521 U. S. 1. The parties have prepared a
proposed decree and have recommended its entry by the
Court.

The motion of the State of Alaska for leave to file a counterclaim is granted.

B. The Federal-State Boundary Marking the Seaward Extent of the State of Alaska's Submerged Lands Act Grant.

1. Except as provided in Paragraph C below, as against
the State of Alaska and all persons claiming under it, the
United States has exclusive rights to explore the area lying
seaward of the line described in Exhibit A hereof and to
exploit the natural resources of said area. The State of
Alaska is not entitled to any interest in such lands, minerals,
and resources, except as may be provided by § 8(g) of the
Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, 67 Stat. 468, 43 U. S. C.
§ 1337(g), and Paragraph C of this Decree. The State of
Alaska, its privies, assigns, lessees, and other persons claiming under it are hereby enjoined from interfering with the
rights of the United States in such lands, minerals, and
resources.

2. Except as provided in Paragraph C below and except
within the boundaries of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and subject to the exceptions set out in § 5 of the Submerged Lands
Act, 67 Stat. 32, 43 U. S. C. § 1313, as against the United
States and all persons claiming under it, the State of Alaska
has exclusive rights to explore the area lying shoreward of
the line described in Exhibit A hereof and to exploit the natural resources of said area. The United States is not entitled to any interest in such lands, minerals, and resources
except as may be provided by Paragraph C of this Decree.
The United States, its privies, assigns, lessees, and other
persons claiming under it are hereby enjoined from interfering with the rights of the State of Alaska in such lands, minerals, and resources.

3. The boundary described in Exhibit A shall remain fixed
for purposes of the Submerged Lands Act.

C. Distribution of Revenues in Escrow and Administration of Leases.

1. The United States and the State of Alaska shall resolve
accounting and administration issues arising from the past
issuance of offshore oil and gas leases in disputed areas based
on the following principles:

a. Existing and Former Leases That Are Subject to
§ 7 Agreements. During the course of this litigation,
the United States and the State of Alaska entered into
agreements under § 7 of the Outer Continental Shelf
Lands Act, 43 U. S. C. § 1336, and Alaska Stat.
§§ 38.05.020 and 38.05.137, to allow mineral leasing of
submerged lands in disputed areas. Under the terms
of those "§ 7 Agreements," lease revenues are held in
income-producing escrow accounts for distribution based
on the outcome of the litigation. No later than 180 days
after entry of this Decree, the funds held in escrow accounts shall be distributed in accordance with the distribution provisions contained in the § 7 Agreements. The
United States and the State of Alaska shall carry out all
applicable provisions and terms of the § 7 Agreements
and shall administer the leases in accordance with the
provisions therein.
b. Existing and Former Leases That Are Affected by
the Fixed Federal-State Boundary Described in Exhibit
A. The United States and the State of Alaska have issued mineral leases in offshore areas that were not in
dispute on the date of lease issuance and are therefore
not subject to § 7 Agreements. Those leases may be intersected, however, by the fixed federal-state boundary
described in Exhibit A, which is based upon surveys conducted after the lease dates. Leases existing on the

date of this Decree and not covered by § 7 Agreements,
but intersected by the fixed federal-state boundary described in Exhibit A, shall continue to be administered
by the original lessor, who shall have the exclusive right
to all past and future revenues from the lease. Following the expiration, relinquishment, or termination of
such leases, the rights to explore and exploit the natural
resources within the area that was leased shall be determined solely in accordance with Paragraph B of this Decree. The distribution of revenues from former leases
that expired before the date of this Decree, that were
not covered by § 7 Agreements, but that would have
been intersected by the fixed federal-state boundary described in Exhibit A, shall not be affected by the fixing
of the federal-state boundary.
c. Existing and Former Leases That Are Both Subject to § 7 Agreements and A ffected by the Fixed
Federal-State Boundary Described in Exhibit A. In
the event that an existing lease is subject to a § 7 Agreement and is intersected by the fixed federal-state boundary described in Exhibit A, the funds held in escrow
shall be distributed, and the lease shall be administered,
in accordance with the provisions of the § 7 Agreement.
Following the expiration, relinquishment, or termination
of the lease, the rights to explore and exploit the natural
resources within the area that was leased shall be determined solely in accordance with Paragraph B of this Decree. The distribution of revenues from former leases
that expired before the date of this Decree, that were
subject to § 7 Agreements, but that would have been intersected by the fixed federal-state boundary described
in Exhibit A, shall not be affected by the fixing of the
federal-state boundary.

2. This Decree shall not affect the rights or obligations
of the United States or the State of Alaska with respect to

its lessees or third parties, whether arising from the § 7
Agreements or otherwise. This Decree shall not affect any
rights or obligations arising under present or future unitization, operating, enhanced recovery, commingling, or other
similar agreements between the parties or with others.

D. The Coastal Boundary of the National Petroleum
Reserve-Alaska.

The coastal boundary of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska is a continuous line, as described in Executive Order
No. 3739-A (1923), in Presidential Executive Orders (1980)
(microform, reel 6), that begins at the western bank of the
Colville River and follows the highest highwater mark west-erly, extending across the entrances of small lagoons, including Peard Bay, Wainwright Inlet, the Kuk River, Kugrua
Bay and River, and other small bays and river estuaries,
and following the ocean side of barrier islands and sandspits
within three miles of shore and the ocean side of the Plover
Islands, to the northwestern extremity of Icy Cape, approximately 70° 21[H11541] N., 161° 46[H11541] W.

E. The Coastal Boundary of the Arctic National Wildlife
Refuge.

The coastal boundary of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is a continuous line, as described in Public Land Order
No. 2214, 25 Fed. Reg. 12598 (1960), that begins at the intersection of the International Boundary line between the State
of Alaska and Yukon Territory, Canada, with the line of extreme low water of the Arctic Ocean in the vicinity of Monument 1 of said International Boundary line, and follows the
line of extreme low water westerly, extending across the entrances of lagoons such that all offshore bars, reefs and islands, and lagoons that separate them from the mainland,
are part of the Refuge, to Brownlow Point, at approximately
70° 10[H11541] N., 145° 51[H11541] W.

F. Resolution of Disputes Respecting the Coastal Boundaries of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

The coastal boundaries of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge are ambulatory and will therefore migrate as a result of changes in relevant physical features. The United States and the State
of Alaska may resolve disputes arising from those changes
through negotiation, through alternative methods of dispute
resolution, or through invocation of this Court's retained
jurisdiction in accordance with Paragraph G. The United
States and the State of Alaska may jointly submit to this
Court, for entry as a supplement to this Decree, any agreement respecting the location of the coastal boundary of the
National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska or of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

G. Retention of Jurisdiction.

The Court retains jurisdiction to entertain such further
proceedings, enter such orders, and issue such writs as from
time to time may be determined necessary or advisable to
effectuate and supplement this Decree and the rights of the
respective parties. In all other respects, this Decree is final.

EXHIBIT A

Location of the Fixed Offshore Boundary
Between the United States of America and the
State of Alaska in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas.

The following line demarks the offshore federal-state
boundary in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas, from Point
Hope to the United States-Canada border. The line is fixed
by coordinates based on the North American Datum 1983
(NAD 83), which is equivalent to the World Geodetic System 1984 (WGS 84). For convenience, the coordinates are
also set out by reference to the North American Datum
1927 (NAD 27). The NAD 83 coordinates are authoritative for purposes of this Decree. The NAD 27 coordinates

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